Temperature control apparatus for machine



1952 B. s. WILLIAMS 2,506,747

TEMPERATURE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR MACHINES Filed Nov. 2, 194a z SHEETSSHEET 1 I N V EN TOR.

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Aug. 12, 1952 B. s. WILLIAMS TEMPERATURE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR MACHINES Filed Nov. 2, 1948 2 SHEET$SHEET 2 INVENTOR:

Ell/dell 5 Wz'Z/Zd W %\N RN Hwy/95x Patented Aug. 12, 1952 TEMPERATURE CONTROLAPPIARATUS FOR MACHlNE Burdell S. Williams, Larchmont', N. Y., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware v Application November 2, 1946, Serial No. 57,970

1 This invention relates to apparatus for maintaining components of machines at a substantially constant temperature during operation of the machines.

It has been found in machines where relatively moving parts are designed to be held to close tolerances that the temperature variations in these parts are capable of producing sufficient relative expension and contraction of the parts to cause substantial deviation from the desired tolerances. It is a principal object of the invention to provide apparatus which will hold the above tolerances'at a substantially constant value by eliminating the expansion and contraction normally caused by temperature changes. This is accomplished by selectively heating or cooling the parts as required to maintain a constant temperature.

One of the most useful applications of the invention is found in machine tools and the invention will be described as associated with a machine tool although it is to be understood that the same principles of temperature control could be beneficially applied to other machinery, such as internal combustion engines, electric motors etc., where it" would be desirable to keep operating parts at an optimum temperature to hold selected tolerances between the parts.

In the preferred application of the invention to machine tools it has been found that by main taining the lubricating oil of a machine tool at a constant temperature that undesired movement of the tool relative to the work is minimized so that the accuracy of the machine is greatly increased. Temperature control of the lubricating oil of the machine tool also permits the speed of the machine to be increased because heat de-' veloped by operation of the machine can be con-' trolled so that it does not become excessive. Other benefits which occur as a result of the temperature control of the machine tool are that tool life is increased and that the type of lubrication in the machine tool becomes less'critical. Heretofore, lubrication of machine tools has been predominantly accomplished by systems which minimize the amount of oil contacting the head or casing of the machine tool in order to minimize expansion of the head'as a result of its contact with hot lubricating oil. However, with the temperature of the lubricating oil controlled,- this limitation on the type of lubricating system:

need no longer be imposed. In fact, it may in many applications, be found desirable to increase the oil contact with machine parts such as'th'e head-or bed to increase the heat transfer there between.

6 Claims. (01. 257-3) Previous efforts have recognized that' some, cooling of the lubricating oilor coolant of a machine tool is desirable. However, constant tempratures have not been maintained. Some predetermined temperature, about in the neighborhood of between 68 F., and 90 F.. is an optimum temperature for the operation of each particular machine tool and it is desirable to raise'or lower the temperature of the tool to the predetermined temperature before work is begun and then' to have available cooling and heating systems of sufllcient capacity to maintain this temperature throughout the period of operation of the ma-" chine. It has been found that if the predetermined temperature is established at too high a value such-as a temperature above the normal operating temperature of the machine that y although a constant temperature might be obtained, certain disadvantages would also be obtained. The work under these conditions would be too hot to touch and the work may be warped or even annealed by the heat. Therefore, it is an object' of this invention to operate the 'machine tools at a predetermined temperature which is lower than the temperature normally attained during the operation of a machine and to initially heat the machine to the predeter mined temperature before operation is begun so that under all conditions when the machine is operating the predetermined temperature is maintained.

In the drawings:

Fig.1 is a diagrammatic view of a machine toolin which the coolant is used to transfer heat away'from the lubricating oil: and I Fig. 2-is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of the invention in which the lubricating oil is in direct heat exchange relationship with a refrigeration apparatus.

In Fig. 1 a lathe ID has been illustrated as the machine tool to which the invention is applied.

' Although a lathe has been illustrated it is to be understood that various other machine tools can with equal case have the invention applied thereto. The invention is adapted for application to grinders, milling machines, drilling machines, automatic screw machines, honing machines, gear shaping machines, profiling machines, broaching machines, and other conventional or specialized machine tools. The lathe I0 is provided with a conventional work-receiving spindle l2 carried by a geared shaft 14 adapted to be driven by a suitable source of power (not shown). The shaft [4 is rotatably journaled in bearings l6 and i8 which have pipes 22 and 24 connected thereto for the delivery of lubricating oil to the bearings. The lathe has a housing 20 which is provided with a sump 26 in which the lubricating oil accumulates after its passage over bearings I5 and I8. A pair of passages 28 and 30 provided in housing serve as drains for the delivery of oil from bearings I6 and I8 to sump 26. A pipe 32 connects the sump 26 with anf oil pump 34 which discharges oil to a pipe 36 which is.con.- nected in fluid flow relationship with both pipes 22 and 24. There is thus provided a conventional lubricating oil circulating system so that oil may be drained from sump 26 through pipe 32. and. I

pumped by pump 34 through pipe 36 to pipes 22 and 24 which deliver oil to the bearings I6 and. I8: The oil is then drained from: the bearings. back. into sump 26 through the passages 28 and 30'. Means will be described herein to maintain the temperature of the lubricating oil in this system at a constant temperature.

The lathe I0 is illustrated as carrying a work piece 38 which is. being operated upon by a cutting; took 40. Aconventional'nozzle 42 is. illus trated' as carried by the lathe III- and. so positioned that it is operable to discharge coolant or. cutting? fluid onto the work-adjacent the. cutting tool 40. A-sump is provided in the base of the lathe for the accumulation ofv used coolant which falls by gravity therein. A'conventional system for the circulation of coolant from sump 44. towork 38 is provided by a. pipe 46-connected to the sump and to a pump 48-. The pump 48- isoperable to elevate coolant through pipes- 50, 52. heat exchanger 54, pipev 56 and. nozzle .42. A conven-- tional refrigerating system including a motor. driven: compressor 58, a condenser diagrammatically illustrated at 60, an expansion valve 62 and the evaporator or heat exchanger 54- is illustrated asassociated with the: coolantcir culating system in order tocool the coolant.

The pipe 36 heretofore mentioned. with refer ence tothe lubricatingoil system. is-provided. with a coiled portion 64 which is surrounded. by a tank 66- adapted to serve asv a heat exchanger. The tank. 65 is connected by a pipe 68 with the. pipe 50 andcoolant pump 48. A pipe III connects tank-66 with coolant sump 44. There isthus provided a supplementary path for coolantfrom pump 48 through pipes 50 and 68, tank. or heat exchanger 66 and pipe III; to sump 44. The passage of coolant through its supplemental path is. controlled by a valve I2 which is interposed within the pipe I0. This supplemental path for coolant provides a means under the controlv of valve I-Zfor cooling lubricating oil:- in pipe by the selective passage of the refrigerated coolantin heat exchange relationship therewith.

The. pipe 35 in the lubricating oil system is also provided with anelectric resistance heating element Iii which is positioned in. heat exchange relationship with the pipe and operable to heat the -oil therein when energized. The energization of the resistance heater '16 is controlled by a means to'be described herein.

The valve I2 and the resistanceheater #6 are bothcontrolled by means which will now be described. An air pressure control system is preferab'ly employed. A pipe-"I8 is connected to any conventional source of supply of air under pressure and has a pressure reducing valve diagrammatica'lly illustrated at 80 interposed in it to reduce the air pressure to a suitable value. A pipe 82 connects the pressure reducing valve with a valvev 84 which is associated with a: heat bulb 86 positioned adjacent the lubricating oil, line 32 and. responsive to the temperature of oil therein. The

valve 84 is responsive to expansion and contraction of the fluid medium contained in the heat bulb 86 and a line 88 connects the heat bulb with the valve 84. The valve 84 is adapted to open when the temperature of the heat bulb 83 is low and is operable to close when the temperature oi the heat bulb 8B is highand theifluid medium therein is expanded. A. pipe 920 is connected to valve 84 and to a heater control switch 92. A branch 94 of pipe 90 is connected to valve I2. It will. thus be. seen that both the valve I2 and the switch 92 are in direct fluid flow communication with the pipe 90 and valve 84.

The resistance heater "I6 previously referred to F' has: one. terminalthereof connected to an electric line 96 which is connected to a source of electric power- The other terminal of the electric resistance heater I6 is connected to a line 98 which has an switch I00 interposed therein. The switch I00 is normally closed and comprises an upper limit control switch which, is adapted to interrupt the-flow oielectric current-to the heater I6 when the temperature. of the lubricating oil becomes switch. The bar I08 has a rod. IIZ. secured. thereto which is connected toan expansible and. contractablebellows H4. The-bellows H4 is posi--- tioned, within a; housing I I6 and the housing II-.6

is. connected in fiuidflow relationship-with a: heat. bulb H8 by a-tube: I20. Thezheat bulb Ht is positioned in close proximity to oil pipe 36. It will I thus be seen. that when: the oil temperature becomes. excessive and the fluid medium in the bulb.

5 I I8 expands the bellows I I4 is collapsed and" the iii bar I108 raised out of contact withterminals; r02 and I04 to interrupt the flowof electric current to the: resistance: heater IS. The electric line I06 is. connected toa terminal I22? in switch 92., A terminal I124- in-switch 9-2 hasa line I126 connected thereto and to the source of electric power. bar L28 is adapted to electrically connect termina-ls I22 and I24 but isurged out of contact with these-terminals by a spring I30. The.- bar I28 carries a valve stem- I=32Vwhich is connected to a piston I34 located i-na cylinder I36 provided inthe housing of valve 92 A cylinder I36 is connected in fluid flow communicationwith the pipe 93 sothat the air discharged from valve 84 may move piston-l34.- It. will thus be seen that the switch 92 is: closed when sufficient air pressure is admitted to the cylinder I36. This air pres sure is in turn admitted to cylinder I 36 when valve- 84is opened in response .to the existence: of a temperature in heat bulbv 8-6 which is below a predetermined minimum.

The control for the valve 12 operates. to open and close the valve: 12 in response to variationsin air pressure in the pipe 94. When a predetermined amount of air pressure is present in the line the switch 92 is closed. and the heater I6 energized. However,- valve I2 is, as illustrated,

normally open but closed when the air pressure. in line 94 is high. When valve 34 closes. in re-' sponse to expansion of the fluid medium in heat bulbBIi as an incident to the temperature of the oil exceeding a; predetermined maximum the pressure in pipe '94 decreases and the valve I2 is urged. to its open position which permits coolant to flow through the supplemental circuit including'pipe 623, tank 66', pipe I0, and sump'44. The coolant in flowing through this supplemental cir- 5. cuit passes in heat exchange relation with the oil inturns 64', and: since the coolant is refrigerated, heat is, therefore, extracted from vtlieilubricating oil. j

Meanshaverb'een described for heating the-lu bricating oil, for cooling the'lubricating oil and for controlling the heating and cooling. The control means a's'describeddoesnot effect simultaneous heating'and fcooling but does efiectalternate heating and: cooling so that; the temperature of the lubricating oil is maintained atia constant value; When the machine has'been shut down for an interval of time and is at room tempera: ture the heat bulb 86 is usually relatively cool. The valve 84'is therefore open-and the switchi'92 closed so that heatingof the lubricating oil is effected prior to the operation of themachine; The modified form' of the invention illustrated in'Fig. 2 is similar tothedevice in" Fig.1 except that the coolant circuits have not been'illustrated and a refrigeration system which'operates directly upon the lubricating oil pipe 36 has been substituted therefor. 'Arefrigerating system including a motor driven compressor 20, a condenser diagrammatically illustrated at 202 and an expansion valve 204 are illustrated as being-positioned in fluid fiow communication with heat exchanger 206 which surrounds turns 64 in lubricating oil pipe 36. Refrigerant is thus passed in heat exchange relationship with the turns 64. The operation of the refrigerating system is controlled by -a switch 208 providedi'in the electric circuit which controls the operation of the motor driven compressor 20!]. The switch 208 performs a fu nction similar to that performed by the valve 12 in the Fig. 1 form of the invention. A motor 20l is illustrated as beinga 'componentof the motor driven compressor set 280 and is provided with an electric line 2 l I] connected to a source of supply of electricity. An electric line 2I2 is connected to switch 208 and an electric line 2 14 connects switch 208 with the source of supply of electricity. The switch 208 includes a terminal 2|6 connected to line H2 and a terminal 2l8 connected to line 2. A bar 220 is adapted to electrically connect terminals 2l6 and 2|8 when in contact therewith. The bar 220 is urged into contact with these terminals by a spring 222. The bar 220 also carries a rod 224 which is connected to an expansible and contractable bellows 22B contained within an airtight housing 228 associated with switch 208. The housing 228 is connected by pipe 230 to air pipe 90 in a manner similar to that in which the pipe 94 was connected to pipe 9|] in the Fig. 1 form of the invention. In the Fig. 2 form of the invention when the temperature of the bulb 86 exceeds a predetermined maximum the fluid medium therein expands to close valve 84 which lowers the air pressure in pipe 230. This permits the spring 222 to expand the bellows and close the switch 208 thereby energizing the motor compressor set 200 and initiating a cooling of the lubricating oil.

The alternate heating of the lubricating oil by the resistance heater 16 is accomplished in the same manner as that described with reference to the Fig. 1 form of the invention under the control of the switches l and 92.

Although a pneumatic control system has been illustrated and described herein it should be recognized that this was chosen as one means to control both the cooling and heating systems by one temperature sensitive device, namely bulb 86 and that there are other conventional temperature responsive switches and devices which are 6. capable of controlling two circuits in'responsefto upper and lower temperatures andthat'apnew matic control system'would not therefore always be necessary. a .7

The temperature control of other oils'such as the oil usedin hydraulic controls in a'machine tool may be accomplished by my invention al-' though I have used the lubricating oil system todescribe'theinvention. l 1

I claim; 1;".Atemperature control system adapted to be associated 'with a machine tool having. a :lu-L bricating oil circulating system, said control system including an electric heating device located in heat transfer relation with the oil in said "oil supply means, and means to open andclose said valve in-response to variations in the temperatureof said machine tool. a

2; A temperature control system adapted to be associated with a machine tool having a lubricating oil circulating system, said control system including an electric heating device located in heat transfer relationwith the oil in said oil system, a-refrigerating device operable to withdraw heat from the oil in said oil system, a first air-operated device, a second air-operated device,an air supply means operable to supply air to said first and second-air-operated devices, a valve in said air supply means, means to open said valve when the temperature of said oil falls below a predetermined minimum and to close said valve when the temperature of said oil exceeds a predetermined maximum, said first air-operated device being operable to energize said heating device when said valve is open and said second airoperated device being operable to render said refrigerating device operative to withdraw heat from said oil when said valve is closed.

3. A temperature control system adapted to be associated with a machine tool having a lubricating oil circulating system, said control system including an electric heating device located in heat transfer relation with the oil in said oil system, a refrigerating device including an electric motor driven refrigerant compressor and an evaporator coil, said coil being located in heat transfer relation with the oil in said oil system and said refrigerating device being operable to withdraw heat from the oil in said system as an incident to operation of said compressor, a first air-operated device, a second air-operated device, as air supply means operable to supply air to said first and second air-operated devices, a valve in said air supply means, means to open said valve when the temperature of said oil falls below a predetermined minimum and to close said valve when the temperature of said oil exceeds a predetermined maximum, said first air-operated device being operable to energize said heating device when said valve is open and said second airoperated device being operable to energize the electric motor of said refrigerant compressor when the valve is closed.

4. A temperature control system adapted to be associated with a machine tool having a lubricating oil circulating system and a coolant circulating system, said control system including a heating device operable to heat said lubricating oil, a cooling device operable to, 0001- said coolant," a first control means to selectively activate and inactivate said heating device, a second control means to selectively pass said cooled coolant in heatexchange relation with said oil and to by pass said coolant out of'heat exchange relation with said 'oil, temperature responsive, means operable to activate said heating device when the temperature of said oil falls below a predetermined minimum and operable to pass said coolant in heat exchange relation with said oil when the temperature of said oil exceeds a predetermined maximum.

5. A temperature control system adapted to be associated with a machine tool having a lubricating oil circulating system and a coolant circulating system, said control system including an electric heating device located in heat transfer relation'wlth the oil in said oil system, a refrigerating device operable to cool said coolant, means defining a first path for the circulation of said coolant in heat exchange relation with said oil and means defining a second path for the circulation of said coolant remote from said oil, a first air-operated device operable to selectively energize and deenergize said heating device, a second air-operated device operable to selectively direct said coolant'through said first and said second paths, an 'air supply means operatively connected to said first and second air-operated devices, a valve in said air supply means and means to open and close said valve in response'to variations'in the temperature of said machine tool.

6. A temperature control system adapted to be associated with a machine tool having a lubricating oil circulating system and'a coolant circulating system, said control system including an electrio heating device located in heat transfer relae tion with the oil in said oil system, a refrigerating device operable to'cool said coolant, meansdefining a first path for the circulation of said coclantin heat exchange relation with said oil and means defining a second pathrforvthezcirculation of said coolant remote from said'oil, a first air-operated device operable to selectively energize andH-deenergize said heating device, a second air-operated device, an air supply means operable to supply air to said first: and second air-operated devices, a valve in said air supply means, means to open said valve when the temperature of said oil falls below a predetermined minimum and to close said valve when the temperature of said oil exceeds a predetermined maximum, said first air-operated device being operableto'energize said heating device when said valve isropen and said second air-operated device being operable to direct said coolant through said first pathiwhen said valve is closed; 1

BUR/DELL S. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Baldenhofer Mar. 5, 1946 

